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Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Taxpayers To Pay $400,000 To Find Out How Kids View Fat Characters In Movies

Someone wants to know how kids view fat characters in movies, so the National Institute of Health (NIH) is spending over $400,000 to find out.

Children's perceptions of "obesogenic" culture in films, or the promotion of excessive weight gain, is the subject of the $433,577 study being conducted by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The researchers have concluded that children's movies are confusing because they make fun of fat characters, while also promoting unhealthy behaviors like drinking soda and watching television. "Children receive cultural messages about appropriate eating, exercise, and attitudes from a variety of influences, likely including family, friends, schools, religious institutions, and electronic culture (television, movies, and video games)," the grant explains. "One important source of culture in the world for children is children's movies."